The purpose of the Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center (ITAC) on Autism and Developmental Disabilities at AUCD is to improve the health of infants, children, and adolescents who have, or are at risk for developing, ASDs and other developmental disabilities. The Center accomplishes this by providing technical assistance to interdisciplinary training programs (i.e., the LENDs and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) programs) to better train professionals to utilize valid and reliable screening tools to diagnose or rule out and provide evidence-based interventions for children with ASD and other developmental disabilities.

The "Autism Town Hall" event, hosted by SPHARC and ITAC, was held at the 2018 AMCHP Annual Conference in Arlington, VA. It provided a platform for current and former Autism CARES grantees, as well as those working at the state systems level and other community members, to dialogue with national partner organizations and each other about priorities and ideas for how to make progress toward a coordinated, comprehensive system of services for autistic individuals. The event was an opportunity to hear from groups working on ASD/DD issues and discuss ways to promote alignment with existing efforts.

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Brett Enneking is the 2018 Assistant Virtual Trainee for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), where she will participate in efforts to engage trainees across the AUCD network. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in clinical psychology and a second-year trainee with Indiana's LEND program, the Riley Child Development Center (RCDC).

The National Clearinghouse for Autism Evidence & Practice, NCAEP) are launching the update to the 2011 systematic review on evidence-based practices for children and youth on the autism spectrum. Please consider serving as a reviewer as well as passing this email and flyer along to your colleagues and graduate students.

This is the first of two meetings (the other held in conjunction with the AUCD Conference) for LEND Directors in 2018. It will be a valuable opportunity for LEND Directors to network, learn from one another, and engage in collaborative work on topics of mutual interest. The meeting is hosted by AUCD's Interdisciplinary Technical Assistance Center on Autism and Developmental Disabilities (ITAC), with funding support from MCHB. All LEND Directors (i.e. PIs / PDs) are highly encouraged to attend.

Upcoming Events

The Disability Policy Seminar hosted by The Arc, UCP, AUCD, AAIDD, NACDD, and SABE is the premier opportunity to cultivate champions on Capitol Hill and advance the grassroots movement for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For 40 years, this unique platform has offered the opportunity to come together with passionate advocates, self-advocates, experts, and professionals in the field to learn about key issues.
The event is packed with informative sessions from experts in the field, and opportunities to discuss key issues with others from your state. Armed with valuable information, the event culminates with the attendees converging on Capitol Hill to speak directly to their representatives about the high-priority issues that affect them most.
All AUCD trainees are invited to a pre-DPS Trainee Summit on Sunday afternoon. Attendees will have exclusive access to Hill staffers and former trainees now working in policy, and learn from the experts how to best craft your message for Wednesday's Hill visits. An evening reception will provide a comfortable background for trainees to meet and network with over 200 peers from around the country.

On Sunday evening immediately before the Disability Policy Seminar, AUCD is hosting a special Trainee Policy Summit! Attendees will have exclusive access to Hill staffers and former trainees now working in policy, and learn from the experts how to best craft your message for Wednesday's Hill visits. An evening reception will provide a comfortable background for trainees to meet and network with over 200 peers from around the country.